This invention relates to a key structure having a covered, or coated, grip.
Wider commercial acceptance are enjoying lock keys having their flat grip portion coated or covered with layers, in general of different colors, such as to make them more easily recognizable.
This covering or coating of the key grip has been effected heretofore in a variety of ways which have not always satisfactorily met the above user's requirement; among these are coverings obtained through the application of layers of a plastics material to both faces of the key grip, with the interposition of an adhesive material layer, or those providing complete embedment of the key grip in a layer of a plastics material. Both such coverings have been only partially successful, the former because in addition to being expensive it is also prone to a separation of the covering layers, and the latter because it is liable to damage on account of its enclosing the peripheral edges of the key grip as well.
In an attempt to eliminate the above shortcomings, keys have been marketed wherein the covering or coating is accomplished by molding covering layers onto the key grip. These layers are joined together through notches formed at the peripheral edge of the key grip, which notches, during the molding process, are also filled with the plastics material, thereby the two layers are caused to merge into a single body.
That approach, while representing an improvement over conventional methods, has failed to eliminate all of the manufacturing problems, since in general there still remain flashes at the peripheral passages to be removed by a subsequent triming operation.